Theism, Deism, & All Things Religious - Atheist Nexus2015-03-03T21:38:24Zhttp://www.atheistnexus.org/forum/categories/theism-deism-all-things/listForCategory?feed=yes&xn_auth=noa National religion? gfy!tag:www.atheistnexus.org,2015-02-25:2182797:Topic:25755292015-02-25T01:12:03.507Zmatthew greenberghttp://www.atheistnexus.org/profile/matthewgreenberg
<p><a href="http://talkingpointsmemo.com/polltracker/poll-57-percent-republicans-christianity-national-religion">http://talkingpointsmemo.com/polltracker/poll-57-percent-republicans-christianity-national-religion</a></p>
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<p>well isn't that inclusive of them. i guess the Judeo goes out the window when push comes to shove. it still amazes me that some atheists support the Grand Theological Party. </p>
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<p>or how about this tidbit?…</p>
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<p><a href="http://talkingpointsmemo.com/polltracker/poll-57-percent-republicans-christianity-national-religion">http://talkingpointsmemo.com/polltracker/poll-57-percent-republicans-christianity-national-religion</a></p>
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<p>well isn't that inclusive of them. i guess the Judeo goes out the window when push comes to shove. it still amazes me that some atheists support the Grand Theological Party. </p>
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<p>or how about this tidbit?</p>
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<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/republicans-propose-declaring-idaho-christian-state-233031805.html">http://news.yahoo.com/republicans-propose-declaring-idaho-christian-state-233031805.html</a></p>
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<p>i suppose the irony impaired, rabid Christian zealots in Idaho haven't spent much time focusing on ISIS/ISIL, aka "The Islamic State". what? they have? like a lot of time and they're seriously get a dog kind of afraid? makes you wonder why though since they have so much in common. </p>
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<p>not to go all Orwellian on you, but i'm really not sure that this country could survive a GOP, er, GTP presidency if they had both houses. they would take Obama's line about transforming this country quite literally. i honestly shudder to think...</p> What would you say to god?tag:www.atheistnexus.org,2015-02-03:2182797:Topic:25634482015-02-03T22:41:41.434ZDaniel Whttp://www.atheistnexus.org/profile/Daniel57
<p>By "god", it's clear they mean the Abrahamic god.</p>
<p><br></br>Fry is calm and reasonable, compared to what I would say if confronted with an actual Yahweh, after eons of hiding, dysfunction, no evidence for existence, and creation of a hate-filled, violent, cruel, dysfunctional world filled with cruelty, psychopathy, racism, slavery, murder, rape, child abuse in his name. Of course, then he would smite me - probably before I got out a single word. He's not a nice person.…</p>
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<p>By "god", it's clear they mean the Abrahamic god.</p>
<p><br/>Fry is calm and reasonable, compared to what I would say if confronted with an actual Yahweh, after eons of hiding, dysfunction, no evidence for existence, and creation of a hate-filled, violent, cruel, dysfunctional world filled with cruelty, psychopathy, racism, slavery, murder, rape, child abuse in his name. Of course, then he would smite me - probably before I got out a single word. He's not a nice person.</p>
<p><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-suvkwNYSQo?feature=player_embedded&amp;wmode=opaque" frameborder="0"></iframe>
</p> Barking up the Wrong Treetag:www.atheistnexus.org,2015-02-03:2182797:Topic:25522012015-02-03T03:40:39.112ZDaniel Whttp://www.atheistnexus.org/profile/Daniel57
<p>In today's mail</p>
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<p><a href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/kHZNBDqH1ZjnAcD5rYLsoYcuKW6fHEdrfEMwY23CPOEitJ*SP3*XzqcS-euTodhg4ysBbL3YZUpNySNVBeL*9XfHmnbcITex/prophecy1.jpg" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/kHZNBDqH1ZjnAcD5rYLsoYcuKW6fHEdrfEMwY23CPOEitJ*SP3*XzqcS-euTodhg4ysBbL3YZUpNySNVBeL*9XfHmnbcITex/prophecy1.jpg?width=750" width="750"></img></a></p>
<p>Lions can fly! Tigers can fly! Oh my!</p>
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<p><a href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/kHZNBDqH1Zj6EZrRha57KzJbbqYuWwWTP0Zpxxs3SuRxEYNiEXA6ZhDEZ7ReqzP4b9-SMS0nS2HhZdJtTcesw46EJZ*9FmDi/prophecyn3.jpg" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/kHZNBDqH1Zj6EZrRha57KzJbbqYuWwWTP0Zpxxs3SuRxEYNiEXA6ZhDEZ7ReqzP4b9-SMS0nS2HhZdJtTcesw46EJZ*9FmDi/prophecyn3.jpg?width=750" width="750"></img></a></p>
<p>I should go, just to find out what…</p>
<p>In today's mail</p>
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<p><a target="_self" href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/kHZNBDqH1ZjnAcD5rYLsoYcuKW6fHEdrfEMwY23CPOEitJ*SP3*XzqcS-euTodhg4ysBbL3YZUpNySNVBeL*9XfHmnbcITex/prophecy1.jpg"><img class="align-full" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/kHZNBDqH1ZjnAcD5rYLsoYcuKW6fHEdrfEMwY23CPOEitJ*SP3*XzqcS-euTodhg4ysBbL3YZUpNySNVBeL*9XfHmnbcITex/prophecy1.jpg?width=750" width="750"/></a></p>
<p>Lions can fly! Tigers can fly! Oh my!</p>
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<p><a target="_self" href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/kHZNBDqH1Zj6EZrRha57KzJbbqYuWwWTP0Zpxxs3SuRxEYNiEXA6ZhDEZ7ReqzP4b9-SMS0nS2HhZdJtTcesw46EJZ*9FmDi/prophecyn3.jpg"><img class="align-full" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/kHZNBDqH1Zj6EZrRha57KzJbbqYuWwWTP0Zpxxs3SuRxEYNiEXA6ZhDEZ7ReqzP4b9-SMS0nS2HhZdJtTcesw46EJZ*9FmDi/prophecyn3.jpg?width=750" width="750"/></a></p>
<p>I should go, just to find out what the bible said about Barak Obama, and Vladamir Putin. I suppose, the Bible identifies the Pop as the Beast. I think he looks more like Elmer Fudd. Every time I see him, I start hearing "Kill da wabbit, kill da wabbit!"</p>
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<p>Oh well. I don't have the energy. I guess now I'll never know the future, or know what's going on here.</p>
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<p></p> Prayer can't hurt?tag:www.atheistnexus.org,2015-01-29:2182797:Topic:25419452015-01-29T22:44:29.824ZDaniel W. Mylinhttp://www.atheistnexus.org/profile/DanielWMylin
<p> A customer of mine was discussing a pending surgery of a mutual friend of ours, stated that she would pray for him..... I replied that I don't believe that will help, I don't believe in the whole prayer thing, and all that goes with it. She told me that it "certainly wouldn't hurt!" I chuckled and told her I would meet her half way, I told her I would agree it wouldn't hurt, if she agreed it wouldn't help. Needless to say this spurred a conversation in which she failed to acknowledge…</p>
<p> A customer of mine was discussing a pending surgery of a mutual friend of ours, stated that she would pray for him..... I replied that I don't believe that will help, I don't believe in the whole prayer thing, and all that goes with it. She told me that it "certainly wouldn't hurt!" I chuckled and told her I would meet her half way, I told her I would agree it wouldn't hurt, if she agreed it wouldn't help. Needless to say this spurred a conversation in which she failed to acknowledge any point I made. </p>
<p>when it was all said and done, she informed me I was going to hell with that line of thinking..............realizing everything I had said had been blocked by her unwillingness to reason.....I ended with the last word....I told her, well whatever, heaven or hell.... I'll know people both places! she did leave, but surprisingly is still a customer, and has yet to bring up her religious beliefs again. </p> Death with Misery (AKA "The Kiss of Jesus") - Brought to You by the RCCtag:www.atheistnexus.org,2015-01-26:2182797:Topic:25397582015-01-26T15:12:26.726ZBertold Brautiganhttp://www.atheistnexus.org/profile/BertoldBrautigan
<p>Valerie Tarico posted an article titled <a href="http://valerietarico.com/2015/01/25/death-with-dignity-vs-redemptive-suffering-robb-miller-on-catholic-healthcare-and-the-legacy-of-brittany-maynard/" target="_blank">Death With Dignity vs. "Redemptive Suffering"</a> in which she interviewed Robb Miller, executive director of Compassion &amp; Choices of Washington. It becomes very clear in the course of the interview that the chief opponent of death with dignity is, surprise, surprise, the…</p>
<p>Valerie Tarico posted an article titled <a href="http://valerietarico.com/2015/01/25/death-with-dignity-vs-redemptive-suffering-robb-miller-on-catholic-healthcare-and-the-legacy-of-brittany-maynard/" target="_blank">Death With Dignity vs. "Redemptive Suffering"</a> in which she interviewed Robb Miller, executive director of Compassion &amp; Choices of Washington. It becomes very clear in the course of the interview that the chief opponent of death with dignity is, surprise, surprise, the Catholic Church.</p>
<blockquote><p><br/> Miller: Well, when I was working on the Initiative 1000 Campaign, the Washington Death With Dignity Act, what I came to realize in debates and editorial board meetings with opponents is that really, opposition is primarily religious in nature. There is some opposition from people who have philosophical or professional reasons for opposing the choice, but really, <strong>the primary opponent to Death with Dignity is the Catholic Church.</strong></p>
<p>In the case of Brittany Maynard, the family was united in supporting Brittany’s choice, but they felt attacked by the Church. Archbishops in several states issued public statements opposing Brittany’s decision, both before and after her death.</p>
<p>The Catholic hierarchy’s “<a href="http://www.usccb.org/about/doctrine/ethical-and-religious-directives/" target="_blank">Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services</a>” states that <strong>Catholic institutions may never condone or participate in aid in dying or Death With Dignity in any way, stating that dying patients who request euthanasia should receive medical and spiritual care necessary so that they can live with dignity until the time of natural death.</strong> The Directives also say “since a person has the right to prepare for his or her death while fully conscious, he or she should not be deprived of consciousness without a compelling reason,” and <strong>“Patients experiencing suffering that cannot be alleviated should be helped to appreciate the Christian understanding of redemptive suffering.”</strong></p>
<p><br/> Tarico: Ok, I have to interrupt, because that’s just plain scary. According to Merger Watch, independent hospitals across the U.S. are being bought by big Catholic healthcare corporations. <strong>When these merger deals happen, the bishops impose the Religious Directives that you just described on providers and patients whether they are Catholic or not.</strong> So, instead of sedation and death with dignity we should all learn to “appreciate the Christian understanding of redemptive suffering”?</p>
<p><strong>Even the phrase “redemptive suffering” is deeply disturbing.</strong> We’ve all heard stories of medieval monks or Opus Dei performing self-flagellation, like in the Da Vinci Code, which seems more than a little twisted. But it’s 2015, last I checked, and most people who work in or get services from Catholic controlled hospitals aren’t even Catholic. <strong>Most of us think that compassion means helping people and other animals not to suffer. There’s a story that Mother Teresa told one dying man to think of his pain as the kiss of Jesus, and he said, “Tell him to stop kissing me.”</strong></p>
</blockquote> Are we at war with Islam or just a fringe of ittag:www.atheistnexus.org,2015-01-25:2182797:Topic:25393152015-01-25T16:54:43.273ZFreethinker31http://www.atheistnexus.org/profile/JoelMSerin
<p>Ever since 9/11, Americans have had to deal with Islam and found they know very little about it.....As a result many Americans perceived Muslims, the followers of Islam in a different way.......When we know very little about something we tend to be easily influenced by events caused by a few......I would compare this to how we once perceived African Americans, Jews, and Homosexuals......Once we became educated and took the time to learn about these different peoples,…</p>
<p>Ever since 9/11, Americans have had to deal with Islam and found they know very little about it.....As a result many Americans perceived Muslims, the followers of Islam in a different way.......When we know very little about something we tend to be easily influenced by events caused by a few......I would compare this to how we once perceived African Americans, Jews, and Homosexuals......Once we became educated and took the time to learn about these different peoples, we could see that we were all the same and we all wanted the same thing, to live free and raise a family and live the American dream........Muslims in America are no different.....Muslims in the Middle East are not as fortunate.....We are all influenced by our leaders and the law of the land.......In the Middle East for instance, there is much oppression and misinformation that is pervasive throughout their society....It is therefore easy for a fringe faction to manipulate and take control of the culture........The outside world should realize this fringe is not representing the entire group, which in this case is the religion of Islam......In the free world, many Muslims are horrified at what is happening in there homeland but have no influence to make change......It is really up to the citizens of these Middle East countries to become unified and fight back at these fringe organizations, such as ISIS/ISIL, Al Queda, and AQAP and Boca Haram and others......I do believe our fight is not with Islam but with these cowards fighting in the name of Islam, making the world hate all Muslims...This is not the way we should look at this.....These fringe Muslims are no different than our KKK, John Birch Society, or even our Fundamentalist right wing Christian groups....WE know that these groups do not represent all Christians, so we need to behave the same toward Muslims...Never judge an entire group as one, judge by individual actions or we spiral into an abyss as we have in the past....</p> Does Richard Dawkins overstate in his book The God Delusion that "Religion is the sole cause of conflict in the world"? What are your opinions?tag:www.atheistnexus.org,2015-01-24:2182797:Topic:25382172015-01-24T15:47:22.747ZShashwat Singh Pokharelhttp://www.atheistnexus.org/profile/ShashwatSinghPokharel
<p>When we look at statistics, we can argue that religion is not just the major cause of conflict around the world. There are quite many people on both sides of the argument. So let's start a discussion on (with links and citations if possible) whether Dawkins really has overstated the fact, or does his claim correspond with evidence?</p>
<p>When we look at statistics, we can argue that religion is not just the major cause of conflict around the world. There are quite many people on both sides of the argument. So let's start a discussion on (with links and citations if possible) whether Dawkins really has overstated the fact, or does his claim correspond with evidence?</p> Sacrificial Lamb?tag:www.atheistnexus.org,2015-01-21:2182797:Topic:25359192015-01-21T23:38:53.420ZChuck Roasthttp://www.atheistnexus.org/profile/ChuckRoast
<p>Christian really get their panties in a bunch and go on and on about what a wonderful thing Jesus did by dying on the cross. These liars will say that his suffering was the most agonizing thing anyone could go through. Humans then and now suffer far more than Jesus did assuming he actually existed. But this is not the argument. Christians lie a lot and this lie is pretty much an exaggeration. </p>
<p>The real argument goes like this:</p>
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<p>Me: Mr Christian, is God all…</p>
<p>Christian really get their panties in a bunch and go on and on about what a wonderful thing Jesus did by dying on the cross. These liars will say that his suffering was the most agonizing thing anyone could go through. Humans then and now suffer far more than Jesus did assuming he actually existed. But this is not the argument. Christians lie a lot and this lie is pretty much an exaggeration. </p>
<p>The real argument goes like this:</p>
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<p>Me: Mr Christian, is God all knowing? </p>
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<p>Mr Christian: Why yes! Of course! </p>
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<p>Me: Is Jesus God?</p>
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<p>Mr Christian: Yes, Jesus is all knowing!</p>
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<p>Me: Since Jesus and God the father already knew the outcome of the crucifixion... knowing that Jesus would not perish and would be back in heaven with his daddy then how is that a sacrifice? </p>
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<p>Mr Christian will lie, change the subject, make a personal attack and create a straw man argument and lie some more.</p>
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<p>Jesus was "dead' for 36 hours. He showed up from an empty tomb and there are conflicting accounts regarding who was there, where and when and then he puts on his Bell Rocket belt and flies up to heaven and BTW according to the Bible heaven is a few hundred feet above the flat earth.</p>
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<p>I use this argument in Christian chat rooms and Christian forums when I am not playing the role of the Calvinist and then again the idea of an all knowing god negates the notion of free will and supports Calvinism. </p>
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<p></p> The Wisdom of a Prelatetag:www.atheistnexus.org,2015-01-19:2182797:Topic:25344682015-01-19T15:30:44.717ZBertold Brautiganhttp://www.atheistnexus.org/profile/BertoldBrautigan
<p>Interestingly, in an article about the reception of the Pope by millions in The Philippines, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune ran this AP sidebar:</p>
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<blockquote><p><strong>Tearful Question</strong></p>
<p><br></br> A 12-year-old girl tearfully asked Pope Francis why God allowed suffering by children. Listening to her intently and visibly moved, <strong>Francis couldn't offer a direct reply.</strong></p>
<p><br></br> Glyzelle Palomar, a former street child and one of four young people who spoke…</p>
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<p>Interestingly, in an article about the reception of the Pope by millions in The Philippines, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune ran this AP sidebar:</p>
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<blockquote><p><strong>Tearful Question</strong></p>
<p><br/> A 12-year-old girl tearfully asked Pope Francis why God allowed suffering by children. Listening to her intently and visibly moved, <strong>Francis couldn't offer a direct reply.</strong></p>
<p><br/> Glyzelle Palomar, a former street child and one of four young people who spoke during his encounter with Filipino youth, told the pope that many children abandoned by their parents fall victim to drugs and prostitution. "Why is god allowing something like this to happen, even to innocent children?<br/> And why are there so few who are helping us" the girl said, breaking down in tears, unable to finish reading what she had prepared to say to the pope.</p>
<p><br/> "Only when we are able to cry are we able to come close to responding to your question," Francis said. <strong>"There are some realities that you can only see through eyes that are cleansed by tears."</strong></p>
</blockquote> Tamil writer announces own death / Hindu extremist threatstag:www.atheistnexus.org,2015-01-17:2182797:Topic:25336792015-01-17T14:24:30.404ZDaniel Whttp://www.atheistnexus.org/profile/Daniel57
<p>So we know Abrahamist thugs (christian, muslim, jewish) are not the only ones -<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jan/15/indian-author-perumal-murugan-hindu-protests" target="_blank">Indian Tamil writer Perumal Murugan</a> received death threats and protests from right wing Hindu caste groups regarding his writing. He announced he is dead as a writer, although continuing to live as a teacher. </p>
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<p>Murugan..."<em>has announced his death as a creative artist following…</em></p>
<p>So we know Abrahamist thugs (christian, muslim, jewish) are not the only ones -<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jan/15/indian-author-perumal-murugan-hindu-protests" target="_blank">Indian Tamil writer Perumal Murugan</a> received death threats and protests from right wing Hindu caste groups regarding his writing. He announced he is dead as a writer, although continuing to live as a teacher. </p>
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<p>Murugan..."<em>has announced his death as a creative artist following threats and protests by rightwing Hindu and caste groups prompted by his book about a woman’s efforts to get pregnant with a stranger through a religious ritual....[he] announced on Facebook this week that he planned to stop writing and ask his publishers to withdraw all seven of his works of fiction from sale...follows an 18-day campaign of protests in Tamil Nadu about his novel Madhorubagan (One Part Woman), first published in 2010 and in English in 2013. The campaign forced him to seek police protection for his family....</em>"</p>
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<p><em>...the latest in a series of creative artists to be targeted by activists in <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/india" class=" u-underline">India</a>, raising questions about freedom of expression in the world’s largest democracy. In February last year, conservatives forced the removal from sale of a book on Hinduism by the US academic Wendy Doniger, claiming it was insulting to the faith.</em>"</p>
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<p>From Pew, there are " <span class="_Tgc"><em>2.2 billion Christians (32% of the world's population), 1.6 billion Muslims (23%), <b>1 billion Hindus</b> (15%), nearly 500 million Buddhists (7%) and 14 million Jews (0.2%) around the world as of 2010.</em>"</span></p>
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<p><span class="_Tgc">It's not nice to know other religions have extremist thugs, but it's thought provoking. Somehow, this kind of defensive thuggery and threat of violence, must be an evolutionary process that enables a religion to survive and prosper, sort of like the fangs and claws of the tiger, or the muscularity and rows of sharp teeth of the crocodile. Religions grow, reproduce, travel, eat, and defecate, just like an animal. They evolve and live and die. The extremist thug is the defense mechanism. Information, knowledge, insight - those are the viruses we must use to infect religion, our intellectual and social Ebola to kill and spread as an epidemic among the religion beasts.</span></p>
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